ood consisting of canary and millet seeds, while flowering grasses provide
them with an endless source of pleasure and wholesome food. The same
treatment suits the African waxbills, many of which are extremely
beautiful, the crimson-eared waxbill or "cordon-bleu" being one of the most
lovely and frequently imported. These little birds are somewhat delicate,
especially when first imported, and during the winter months require
artificial warmth.

There is a very large group of insectivorous and fruit-eating birds very
suitable for aviculture, but their mode of living necessarily involves
considerable care on the part of the aviculturist in the preparation of
their food. Many birds are partially insectivorous, feeding upon insects
when these are plentiful, and upon various seeds at other times. Numbers of
species again which, when adult, feed almost entirely upon grain, feed
their young, especially during the early stages of their existence, upon
insects; while others are exclusively insect-eaters at all times of their
lives. All of these points must be considered by those who would succeed in
keeping and breeding birds in aviaries.

It would be almost an impossibility to keep the purely insectivorous
species, were it not for the fact that they can be gradually accustomed to
feed on what is known as "insectivorous" or "insectile" food, a composition
of which the principal ingredients generally consist of dried ants'
cocoons, dried flies, dried powdered meat, preserved yolk of egg,[1] and
crumb of bread or biscuit. This is moistened with water or mixed with
mashed boiled potato, and forms a diet upon which most of the insectivorous
birds thrive. The various ingredients, or the food ready made, can be
obtained at almost any bird-fancier's shop. Although it is a good staple
diet for these birds, the addition of mealworms, caterpillars, grubs,
spiders and so forth is often a necessity, especially for purely
insectivorous species.

The fruit-eating species, such as the tanagers and sugar-birds of the New
World, require ripe fruit in abundance in addition to a staple diet such as
that above described, while for such birds as feed largely upon
earth-worms, shredded raw meat is added with advantage.

Many of the waders make very interesting aviary birds, and require a diet
similar to that above recommended, with the addition of chopped raw meat,
mealworms and any insects that can be obtained.

Birds of prey naturally require a